Bottled water VS Boiled water

Bottled water VS Boiled water

Which is healthier boiled water or bottled water?

Water is the source of life, and drinking enough water every day is essential to maintaining a healthy water balance. Some people have been used to boiling water for themselves for a long time, while others choose barreled or bottled water.

So, who is healthier, people who boil water for themselves for a long time or people who often buy bottled water?

In January 2024, the international academic journal "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States" (PNAS) published a latest study that found that there are an average of about 240,000 detectable plastic particles per liter of bottled/barreled water.

Research screenshots

For the first time, researchers used new optical imaging technology to observe "nanoplastics" (plastic particles smaller than 1 micron) in bottled/barreled water. These tiny "nanoplastics" can pass through our intestinal or lung cells, enter the blood, and even reach the heart and brain. Even for pregnant mothers, they will pass through the placenta and eventually enter the fetus.

The study also found that when bottled water bottles are squeezed or exposed to high temperatures, they may fall off into the water with fragments. Many plastic particles will enter the water when the bottle cap is repeatedly opened and closed.

Are there no "microplastics" in tap water? Yes! The analysis report on "Microplastics in Drinking Water" released by the World Health Organization in 2019 pointed out that plastic pollutants exist in the ocean, sewage, fresh water, and drinking water (including bottled water and tap water).

In February 2024, Professor Li Zhanjun of Guangzhou Medical University and Professor Zeng Yongping of the School of Environment of Jinan University published a research result in the journal "Environmental Science and Technology Express" and found that boiling water and then simply filtering it can remove up to 84% of nano/microplastics! This is the simplest and most harmless way to "purify" water, thereby reducing the intake of microplastics caused by human drinking water.

Research screenshots

The study found that during the boiling process, as the water temperature increased (25-95℃), the removal efficiency of microplastics in the water gradually increased from the initial 2% to 28% and sharply increased to 84% at 100℃. At the same time, the concentration of microplastics decreased from the original 30 particles/μl to 4.8 particles/μl.

Where did the microplastics in the water go? The study found that the disappeared microplastics were transferred from the water to the precipitation of scale, and the calcium carbonate in the scale can achieve the effect of removing microplastics in the water by co-precipitation with microplastics.

Microplastics combine with calcium carbonate and precipitate during the boiling process. Research screenshot

Therefore, boiling water for drinking is better for removing microplastics!

The study compared the amount of microplastics ingested by adults and children drinking boiled water and tap water in 67 regions of six continents based on different water quality and drinking habits worldwide. It found that the amount of microplastics ingested by boiling water every day is 2-5 times less than that ingested by tap water. It is recommended that everyone boil water for drinking to reduce the intake of microplastics in the human body.

Wang Qian, a nutritionist at the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University, introduced in an article published in the Nutrition Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University in 2023 that to reduce microplastics from entering the human body, one must develop these 5 habits.

1. Reduce the use of disposable plastic products

Reduce the use of disposable plastic tableware because disposable paper cups, plastic lunch boxes, plastic bowls and spoons, packaging bags, etc. are all plastic products;

2. Develop the habit of boiling water for yourself

Bring your water cup, preferably a glass cup, enamel cup, or stainless steel cup. Try to boil tap water or boil it yourself, and drink less bottled water;

3. Don't put a plastic bag in the bowl to eat

Don't put a plastic bag in the bowl to hold hot food; if you need to pack, it is best to use a degradable box, and it is better to bring your lunch box. High temperatures will increase the rate and amount of microplastics produced.

4. Develop the habit of using less plastic straws

When liquid contacts the wall of plastic straws, microplastics will be brought into the body, and hot drinks will increase this risk. Some people like to bite straws, and plastic straws will produce more microplastics when subjected to external forces.

5. Eat less processed foods packaged in plastic

Eat less processed foods. Processed foods are packaged layer by layer and are at a higher risk of being contaminated by microplastics. Canned foods are generally coated with bisphenol A, and microplastics will inevitably degrade in food.

Do not throw away plastic bottles and plastic bags. Classify the garbage in the designated trash can to reduce environmental pollution and prevent microplastics from entering the human body through the food chain.

Let us drink more boiled water and use less plastic bottled water to protect the earth and our own bodies.